Through a Greyglass

Not really going to post much here anymore unless it's really private stuff.  Head over to http://hrachgarden.blogspot.com/ if you want to keep tabs on me!  Thanks!

For how happy I am, for how emotional this night makes me, for how excited I am for tomorrow.

We are one country, we are reborn tonight.

This is good.

Don’t Forget to Vote! I don’t care how long you have to stand in line. I’m taking the baby and voting in a couple of hours!

Was amazing.

There were three rauens^[2] sat on a tree,

downe a downe, hay downe, hay downe,^[3]

There were three rauens sat on a tree,

with a downe,

There were three rauens sat on a tree,

They were as blacke as they might be.

With a downe, derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe.

The one of them said to his mate,

Where shall we our breakfast take?

Downe in yonder greene field,

There lies a Knight slain under his shield,

His hounds they lie downe at his feete,

So well they can their Master keepe,

His Hawkes they flie so eagerly,

There's no fowle dare him come nie^[4]

Downe there comes a fallow Doe,

As great with yong as she might goe,

She lift up his bloudy head,

And kist his wounds that were so red,

She got him up upon her backe,

And carried him to earthen lake,^[5]

She buried him before the prime,^[6]

She was dead her self ere euen-song time.

God send euery gentleman,

Such haukes, such hounds, and such a Leman.^[7]

Niagara Falls is such an incredible place.  I went there today, just for... moments, it seemed.  I've never visited a place where one hears more languages, sees more people of different backgrounds, and feel... so ... insignificant, both in nature and in humanity...  It's not exactly a bad feeling... it's humbling, in a good way, I think...



( The Photos... )</div>

I do feel bad for Sarah Palin... I really do... but i still found this so, so funny.  I cried I laughed so hard...


http://cdn.holytaco.com/www/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/palin-facebook-2.jpg

I love lake effect rain in the fall... what a gorgeous day...

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next seven sentences in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.
6. Tag five other people to do the same.

-----
With Tintin as protagonist such examples are rare.  An Unpublished plate of Tintin springs particularly to mind where Tintin wanders at night through the streets of New York; a plate produced in New York during a congress in April 1972 of strip cartoonists and given by Herge to John Lindsay, the Mayor.  Tintin was presetn on the other side of the Atlantic because Herge was there.  In 1972 as in 1932, the charatcher participates in all of the adventrues of the cartoonist.  Tintin went down the streets in which Herge himself had paced.  And who knows if so struck by the skyscrapers of New York, Herge may not himself have been only an inch away fron knocking into an unexpected obstacle?  The starts revolving around Tintin's head, after he had unfortunately walked into a lamp-post, were not those of the American Flag.

http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html

Well... I was going to write a poem or something eloquent and meaningful about the beginning of fall... but currently being really happy and having a lack of angst or drama in my life doesn't lend well to inspiration I guess.

So, I'll leave you with a link to some photos I took on my birthday hike instead.

TA!

http://picasaweb.google.com/thrach/20080921MinisterCreek#

The rules:
Take a picture of yourself right now.
Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair...just take a picture.
Post that picture with NO editing.
Post these instructions with your picture
 

My entertainment this morning is watching people speed down my street, come to a quick halt as they come face to face with the giant maple tree that fell across the road last evening, then turn around and speed back up the hill.  What can i say.  Easily entertained.

We had 50-60 mile wind gusts last night.  It was scary and beautiful at the same time.  I made sure everything that could blow around in the yard was tied down or moved inside, then we perched at the doors/windows to watch.  We were getting ready to watch some tv when the wind picked up and we heard a giant crack, and a car alarm started going off.  A tree had fallen on one of the neighbor's cars.  A Tree.  Not a branch.

We watched out the window at the clouds sweeping over the moon and our poor trees swirling.  We heard another crack, and a large branch broke from our tree in the front yard.  A little while later i went out in the dark to see how large of a branch it was, and noticed the tree that had fallen across the road about 100 meters from our house.  Scary.

We were lucky.  The power only blipped a few times, while i'm sure our neighbors didn't fare so well.  We keep our trees trimmed with a tree service to make sure wind can move through the branches, so instead of our beautiful trees toppling, we get an occasional branch.  None of the trees in the back yard were bothered.  We have a lot of leaves and smallsih branches, but we came through pretty unscathed.

I still love windy nights, as long as i know nothing's going to blow away, and I feel better that my trees made it through that windstorm with only a few branches gone.

It's a very Miyazaki time of year...  I'm watching Howl's Moving Castle... and I think i'll watch spirited away soon.  I'm really in the mood for Totoro... I think I have that one, but i'm not sure...

This time of year breaks me in to a thousand flaky pieces...  then floats them away on the wind...

I watched a video this morning of people shooting wolves from a plane in alaska.  The poor things run, the shots don't kill them, they just cripple them, and they bleed and bite at their wounds.  It made me cry, it make me ill. 

Then I read this.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/04/earthlog104.xml

There is nothing like walking bare-kneed through dew-damp ferns, when the world is almost silent, and the only things you're really aware of, are things like the smell of pine, where you'll put your foot down next, and what might appear on either side of the trail in front of you.

I got up before 6, drove through mists to get to a section of forest with 300 year old trees, black bears, and no sounds of traffic.  I hiked 7 miles of some of the best forest i've been in.  I can't wait to go back.

http://picasaweb.google.com/thrach/20080903HeartSContent#

I make this for the baby and I to share every morning.  The following makes probably 2 servings.

1/2 cup quick cook oats
1/4 cup chunky applesauce (I usually use the unsweetened cinnamon kind, because it's what we have around)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup water (use more or less water for desired thickness or taste)
brown sugar (to taste) (I usually use around a tablespoon and a half
cinnamon to taste (maybe a 1/4 teaspoon)
pinch of salt

I usually spoon the applesauce, juice, and water into a 1 cup liquid measure, then add to the oats in a microwave bowl. 
Sprinkle sugar, salt, cinnamon, and whatever other spices you want in (I'm going to try nutmeg, to make it taste more like pie... mmm pie)
microwave for 2-2 1/2 minutes 
Stir again and let stand for a minute or two.

Add milk, or sprinkle more brown sugar over to taste.

I love it, baby loves it, even the dog loves it.  It's really easy and tastes really good,  The chunks of apple really make this great, and i'm thinking of sticking some blueberries in at some point.

I walked out old 198 this morning.  It's an old road that goes through the gamelands, and continues right out into a lake.  I saw deer, and critters, and then we walked right into the lake.  The road goes under the water gradually, so i must've walked 200 feet out and was only in up to my calves.  Its interesting to stand in the water and look around 360.

I love this kind of grey and cool day, with the wind blowing and autumn encroaching... you can smell the change in the leaves that are starting to fall, how the greens are getting a touch brighter before they change into the fall hues.

I'm tired today, and feeling a bit off... its a good day to curl under a blanket with a book and a cup of tea...

I hiked the last 4x2 miles of the Gerard Hiking trail today.  4 in and 4 back. I feel very happy with my accomplishment.  Now i just have to conquer the next challenge.  And i want to backpack and camp on the trail now.  I'd have to do 12ish miles a day, which i think would be nooo problem.

Excitingly, I also saw my first bear poop in the woods... because you know... bears poop in the woods.  I was fortunate (unfortunate?) enough not to see an actual bear, however.  I did make an ass of myself the rest of the walk by clapping, banging my hiking stick on trees, and yelling.  But i had no confrontations with bears.

Which reminds me.  I need to order bear strength pepper spray.

More later!